Please send your prayers and support for this year's 'Big Hug of
Jerusalem' event, taking place today June 24th. We are expecting
thousands of Israelis, Palestinians and internationals to gather for a
prayer of peace and unity around the walls of the Old
City.

FACE 2 FACE PROJECT

Over one year ago, two French Jewish artists JR and Marco, came up with a
project to photograph Israelis and Palestinians, in pairs, and from the
same professions, making funny faces, and then posting the images in
unavoidable public places. One of the central posters was a collage of
three religious figures from the
Holy Land
, a Muslim sheikh, a Christian priest and a religious Jew. Sheikh Abdul
Aziz Bukhari and I were chosen as the Jew and Muslim.

The many photos of Israelis and Palestinians, faces
side by side, were posted over a year ago all over
Jerusalem
and the West Bank, and on both sides of the separation wall, at Abu Dis
and in
Bethlehem
. The images on the
Bethlehem
side still remain today.

Since then, "JR", the young French photographer, has posted
these images, large billboard size posters, in central public
locations all over Europe: in Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin, Paris and
most recently in Geneva.

This last March, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari and I were invited to a public
posting of the poster featuring us, in the most central square on the
side of the most prominent museum in Geneva, Switzerland. The local imam
and rabbi welcomed us and spoke about the Face 2 Face project in all the
news outlets, TV and print. Newspapers featured Sheikh Bukhari in
his robes getting covered in glue as he joined JR in the posting. Lots
of media covered our presence together at the posting in
Geneva
.

An entire hall in a culture and arts center in Geneva
was covered in snapshots of us and the other Israeli and Palestinians
who made faces for the project. The sheikh and I held a public
talk and book signing of the 'Face 2 Face' art book at a book store in
central Geneva. The image of the Muslim, Christian and Jew is still up in
Geneva
and the other
Europe
locations.

More meaningful to us than any publicity events though, were the meetings
we had with the high school students at the
International
High School
in Geneva. Children of the many UN diplomats from all over the world based in
Geneva
attend school together at the International high school...and the issue
of
Israel
and
Palestine
is such a sensitive issue that the school had never been able to hold a
public event or discussion on the issue. When we came, with a
perspective bringing humor, and our shared humanity to help serve as a
bridge between our peoples, the teachers and students opened up in a
beautiful way. Before we knew it, the teachers and students were jumping
in to make funny faces with us.

This project helps to highlight the common humanity of the Israelis and
Palestinians. Our issue is a very serious one, sometimes a little humor
could also help.... Perhaps if we can help take down the walls of fear
between our peoples, who are really one people, the family of Abraham,
this will lead to a shift in policies among the governments in the
Holy Land
.

See pictures from the Face 2 Face project in the Holy Land, the
postings in Europe and from our journey to
Geneva
here: